The Cleveland Cavaliers are locked in a first-round playoff battle with the Toronto Raptors, with the series tied at two games apiece after Toronto won both games at home over the weekend. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.
Ideastream Public Media sports commentator Terry Pluto said Cleveland’s star players are eager to break through lingering postseason frustrations.
Donovan Mitchell ranks sixth all-time in playoff scoring average among players with at least 50 games, at about 28 points per game.
“Yet, in nine years, Donovan Mitchell has never gotten past the second round of the playoffs, and there is a lot of frustration on his part that he just can't get deeper,” Pluto said.
The Cavs added veteran James Harden in February, who has reached the playoffs in all 17 of his seasons but hasn't won a championship.
“To show you how young Toronto is, the entire Toronto Raptors roster has appeared in fewer playoff games than James Harden,” Pluto said.
Pluto pointed to late-game execution as a key issue in Cleveland’s Game 4 loss.
“This is something that happens sometimes in the NBA and the playoffs," Pluto said. "They just throw the ball to a star and say, ‘You win the game for us.’ And they were doing that with both Harden and Donovan Mitchell, almost like they were taking turns. And the rest of (the team) is just kind of standing there. When you're not moving an offense, it makes it easier for the defense to just swarm."
The Cavaliers are also dealing with expectations.
“They have one of the NBA's highest payrolls, and this is Kenny Atkinson's second year (as head coach), and he was brought in here to get them past the second round," Pluto said. "But what I'm saying is the Cavs are built to win now and they're struggling. And I think they're feeling that pressure inside."
Pluto said returning to Rocket Arena could help Cleveland regain momentum but added that the team must involve more players offensively.
“You can't, when things go bad, just throw their ball to Harden or throw it to Mitchell and have what they call in the NBA, hero ball," Pluto said. "You have to get back to making sure other players touch the ball. The Cavs have a size advantage with two seven-footers in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Don't forget about them."
Before the series began, Pluto predicted it would go seven games and said that outlook has not changed.
“As I watched Toronto before that, it reminded me a couple of years ago when the Cavaliers faced a young Orlando Magic team," Pluto said. "The Cavs were expected to easily get past them. That became a long seven-game series ... and I just had a feeling that this series here with Toronto has some of the same components as that one."
Pluto said he still expects Cleveland to advance.
“I picked them in seven and I'm staying with that because they have enough talent to make that happen.”
